Holden hesitated for a fleeting moment, his mind racing to concoct a plausible excuse.
After a thoughtful pause, he finally told Melon, âYou see, Daddyâs profession is secret, and this time, I clandestinely slipped away to keep my boy company.
Should your Mommy discover our Little escapade, sheâd surely be fuming and fraught with worry.
You know how much Daddy despises seeing Mommy distressed, and you share that sentiment, donât you?â
Melon, not fully grasping the intricacies of the situation, got Holdenâs words and nodded in agreement.
He extended his hand, suggesting a pinkie promise.
âShall we seal the deal?â
âAlright, no lying.
â With a wry grin, Holden intertwined his pinkie with Melonâs and playfully tickled his nose.
Melon was still hesitant to part ways.
He got his smart watch and showed it to Holden.
âDaddy, this is my contact information.
Can I add your details? We can video chat whenever you find time.
â
âOf course,â Holden readily agreed, proceeding to add Melonâs phone number.
Finally, Melon ki*sed Holdenâs cheek, bid farewell, and stood at the summer camp entrance, watching his departure.
As Holden got away from the summer camp, with Devin at his side, a thoughtful silence lingered, Devin contemplating whether to voice his thoughts.
Sensing the turmoil in Devinâs mind, Holden cast a sidelong glance.
âSpeak your mind, Devin.
If you have something on your chest, donât hesitate.
â
Brimming with anticipation, Devin inquired, âWas that young child we encountered earlier your son?â
Holden met Devinâs gaze and replied, âNo.
â
He paused before elaborating, âHeâs the son of an online acquaintance.
âs
I merely lent a helping hand with a small favor.
â
Devinâs previous fervor evaporated instantly, deflated by Holdenâs words.
Devin didnât press further, but he couldnât shake the uncanny resemblance he noticed between the child and Holden.
Could it all be a trick of the mind?
The following day, on the set of a certain movie, Sadie found herself seated in a van, deftly editing photos in Photoshop.
Displayed on her phone was the image of Holden bestowing a ki*s on the cheek to Ariana, a snapshot captured five years prior during her discreet investigation of Ariana.
With finesse, Sadie replaced Arianaâs face with hers, altering the backdrop to craft a seamless image using her expert photo editing skills.
All this effort was not for immediate use but rather to allay and deceive Holden, hiding her ruse until the opportune moment.
In her musings, Sadie pondered the fact that, when she and Holden eventually tied the knot, there was no intention to invite Ariana.
Consequently, no one would stumble on the photoshop work.
A knock resounded on the car door at that time, and the assistant outside reminded her, âMiss Pierre, itâs time for the opening ceremony.
â